Sounding apparatus for submarine boats



- S. B. SMITH.

SOUNDING APPARATUS FOR SUBMARINE BOATS.

APPLICATION FILED ocT. .1919.

1,359,763. Pdtented.Nov.23,1920.

UNE'EED s'rarss PATENT- ovate; 1 v

SIMEON BURKESMITH, QF NE'W LGNDGN, GONEECTTCUT, ASSIGNOR T0 ELECTRICBOAT I i l v i COMPANY, A' CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY. d

soun nrne errenerus Fon- SUBMARINE BoA'rs.

-. Specification of LettersPatent.,. I 'Pa'tnted; Now, 23, 1%24},

Application filed em er 1, ieie. sensin 329,972.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SiirnoN' B.v SMITH, a citizen of the United States,residing at New London, in the 'county of New London State ofConnecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inSounding Apparatus for Submarine Boats; and I do hereby declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,such as will enable others skilled in the art, to which it appertains tomake and use the same.

The present invention relates to sounding apparatus for submarine boatsfor determining the depth of the sea'while the boat is still or inmotion on the surface of'the sea or submerged therein, and the primaryobject of the invention is to provide coacting means carriedby the boatand by the lead of the sounding apparatus to form a substantiallywater-tight closure to the sea for the pocket in which the lead isstowed. Accordingly, whenever the sounding apparatus is not in use, thepocket containing the'lead is sealed in a substantially water tightmanner to the sea and may be freed from water so that the stability-ofthe boat is in no wise affected, as may be'the 'case with a pocket ofthis kindopen to the sea.

Furthermore, the winding drum, which is usually located in thepocketalso, is not exposed to the sea water when the sounding apparatus is notin use, and the depth gage carried by the lead may be more readily readfrom within the boat.

The invention also comprehends, in asso ciation with the pocket and themeans for maintaining it Water-tight, suitable means for removing thewater from the pocket after the lead is stowed therein, so that not onlyis the pocket closed to the sea whenever the sounding apparatus is notin use, but it may also be cleared of water at that time to furtherprotect the apparatus in the pocket and to further assist in accuratelyreading the depth gage.

In the accompanying drawings illustrating the preferred form of myinvention, Figure l is a central section through the sounding apparatus;and Figs. 2 and 3 are sections on lines 2-2 and 33, respectively, ofFig. 1.

The bottom of the hull of the submarine of a casing having a centralcylindrical portion '3 closed at the top in a substan tially water-tightmanner by an enlargement 1 for the winding drum, and having at itsloweropen end an expanding section secured at the flanges 6 totheoutside of the hull.

T he lead has an upper cylindrical portion I 7 andia lower portionformed with fins or legs 8 terminating. in an upturned peripheral lip orflange 9. The ballast 28 of lead is firmly held as shown, and addssuiiicient' v weight to the lead to cause it to descend properlywhen theboat is still or in mo-. t on. The leadcarries a Kelvin gage 10', and apin or knob 11 adapted to coact with v the helical fin 12 on theinterior of the 'cy-. lindrical portion 3 of the pocket to bring thegage into position for viewing it from" Within'the boat when the watertight' door 13 is removed. If

The winding'drum isof the well-known type in which the drum proper M ismount: ed on the shaft 15. The shaft 15 projects through a water tightbearing16 into-'the interior of the boat, where it carries a pineratinghandle 19. The winding drum is I also provided with the usualform ofbrake 20 for automatically stopping it when the lead reaches the bottomof the sea. The wire 21 is attached to the lead through a swivel jointat 22, thereby permitting, the

acting as a valve seat, is engaged by the up-v I U turned lip 9 actingas a valve body, to form V ion 17 meshed witha gear 18 having an opavalve closing the pocket to the sea in a substantially water-tightmanner. The arrangement of the ring 23 and the peripheral. 7 hp 9 issuch that notwithstanding the factwhen the leadis stowed in the pocket,the lead is free to descend immediately that the winding drum starts topay out the wire 21.

The pocket is provided with a drain pipe 2 1- having a valve 25 therein,and with a pipe 26' communicating with a source of compressed air (notshown), and having avalve 27. When the lead is in stowed posii on theyform a substantially water-tight jointtion, the water may be blown fromthe pocket through the drain pipe 24; by opening the valves 25 and 27.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is: V

1. In sounding apparatus for submarine boats in combination with thehull thereof, a pocket open to the sea through the bottom of the hull, alead adapted to be stowed in the pocket, and a winding drum for thelead, said lead and boat cooperating to form a substantially water-tightclosure to the sea.

2. In sounding apparatus for submarine boats in combination with thehull thereof, a pocket open to the sea through the bottom of the hull, alead adapted to be stowed in the pocket, a valve seat carried by theboat, a valve body carried by the lead and cooperative with the seattoform a substantially water-tight closure to the sea, and a windingdrum for the lead. Y

3; In sounding apparatus for submarine boats in combination with thehull thereof, a substantially water tight casing passing through thehull to form a pocket therein, a lead cooperating with the casing tosubstantially seal the pocket to the sea, and a winding drum for thelead arranged within the pocket.

' 4;. In sounding apparatus for submarine boats in combination with thehullthereof, a casing fastened. to the hull around a passagetherethrough to form a pecket open to the sea, alead adapted to bestowed in the pocket, a valve seat arranged around the open end of thepoeket,a flange carried by the lead in position to cooperate with thevalve seat to form a substantially water-tight closure to the sea, and awinding drum for the lead.

' 5. Insounding apparatus for submarine boats in combination with thehull thereof, a casing passing through the bottom of the hull and beingfastened on the outside thereof to form a pocket open to the sea, avalve boats in combination with the hull thereof, a.

pocket open to the sea through the bottom of the hull, a lead adaptedtobe stowed in the pocket in such manner as to substantiallysealthepocket to the sea, a winding drum for the lead, and means forremoving Water from the pocket when the lead is stowed therein. v c

7. In sounding apparatus forsubmarine boats in combination with the hullthereof, a pocket open to the sea through the bottom of the hull, a leadadapted to be stowed in the pocket in such manner as to substantiallyseal the pocket to the sea, a winding drum for the lead, and means forblowing water from the pocket when the lead'is stowed therein,comprising a drain pipe leading from the pocket and a pipe fordischarging compressed air into the pocket.

8. In sounding apparatus for submarine boats in combination with thehull thereof, a substantially watertight casing passing through the hullto form apocket therein, a lead cooperating with the casing tosubstantially. seal the pozhot to the sea when the lead is stowed inthepocket, a winding drum for the lead arranged within the pocket, andmeans for. removing water from the pocket when the lead is stowedtherein.

In testimony whereof I afiix mysignature.

sIMEoN BURKE SMITH.

